Israeli airstrike caused death of 3 hostages whose bodies were found in Gaza last December, IDF confirms

Nearby airstrike on Hamas commander led to spread of poisonous gas

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An Israeli airstrike indirectly led to the death of three Israeli hostages whose bodies were recovered from Gaza last December, Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Sunday.

While the IDF stated that the three hostages were "with high probability" killed as a result of an airstrike targeting a senior Hamas commander, Israeli media reported that the hostages died because of a carbon dioxide buildup in the tunnel where they were being held.

The results of the extensive investigation were presented to the families of the late Sgt. Ron Sherman, Cpl. Nik Beizer and Elia Toledano before being published by the IDF.

According to the investigation, the three were being held captive in a tunnel complex where Hamas’ Northern Brigade Commander Ahmed Ghandour operated. The airstrike that killed Ghandour also damaged the tunnel complex, leading to the deaths of the hostages.

“This is a highly probable estimate given all the data, but the circumstances of their death cannot be determined with certainty,” the IDF stressed. “This determination is based on the location where their bodies were found in relation to the impact of the attack, performance research of the attack, intelligence findings, the results of the pathological reports as well as the determination of the Institute of Forensic Medicine.”

The IDF further emphasized that it had no information about the presence of Israeli hostages in the tunnel complex or anywhere in the area prior to launching the airstrike.

“Throughout the war, the IDF does not attack in areas where there are indications or suspicions of hostages,” the Israeli military stated, adding that there is a special mechanism in place to ensure there is no harm to hostages during the fighting.

The bodies of Sherman, Beizer and Toledano were retrieved from the Gaza Strip on Dec. 14. The bodies of hostage civilian Eden Zacharia and IDF Warrant Officer Ziv Dado were recovered from the same tunnel complex one day earlier.

“The IDF shares in the grief of the families for the severe loss and will continue to accompany them. The IDF continues, even at this time, to exert every effort to realize the supreme national mission of returning all the hostages.”

One week after the bodies were discovered, Hamas released a propaganda video claiming the hostages were killed in an Israeli airstrike.

The following month, a pathology report presented to the families showed no signs of blunt force of gunfire on their bodies, excluding the possibility that a direct strike killed them.

Beizer and Sherman were only 19 years old and had only recently begun their IDF service in COGAT’s Gaza District, coordinating permits and the passage of goods at the Erez border crossing into Gaza.

They were kidnapped when the Erez Crossing was captured during the Hamas terror attack on Oct. 7.

Toledano (28) was kidnapped from the Nova Music Festival together with his friend Mia Schem, who was later released during the November 2023 hostage deal.